‘Republics’ should be declared terrorist organizations: Poroshenko

(QHA) -

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko will ask the international community to recognize the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk “People’s Republics” as international terrorist organizations, the presidential website said on Saturday.

Kyiv has accused pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine near the crash site of interfering with the investigation by removing victims' bodies and parts of the airplane.

Armed separatists in eastern Ukraine have for a second day prevented international inspectors from reaching the wreckage of the Malaysian airliner that was shot down on July 17, killing all 298 people.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said its team of monitors was only allowed to visit a part of the field strewn with debris from the airliner.

Earlier on July 19, Ukraine's government accused separatists of trying to destroy evidence of an international crime "with the help of Russia."